Featured Photos

Jim Vincill, right, Treasure of the Johnson County Lions Club presents a plaque to LuAnne Suba of Subas Restaurant for sponsoring the winning turtle “Otis” in the2018 Annual Lions Club Turtle Derby. Photo Submitted

Appalachian University students Meghan Murphy, 23, and Kaitlyn McCord, 22, of Boone, NC try on summer hats during the 14th Annual Sunflower Festival held last week in Mountain City. The pair were among the nearly three thousand from near and far that attended this year’s festivities making the events a success. See page B-3 for story and photos. Photo by By Jinifer Rae

Damascus Motor Sales owner Tim Brown is reading one of this month’s free books, I Hear a Pickle by Rachel Isadora to his grand children, Chloe, left, and Carson. The Johnson County Imagination Library Board thanked Brown for his participation in its Hometown Book Labels program. The program currently serves 719 preschool aged children with one free book per month.

Members of the Johnson County Children’s Choir perform a musical piece, “Yankee Doodle” during the Fourth of July celebration on the Ralph Stout Park stage in Mountain City TN. The song was appropriately performed as it is often sung patriotically in the United States. While the song dates to before the Seven Years’ War and the American Revolution (1775–83), the melody is reportedly thought to be much older than both the lyrics and the subject, goingback to folk songs of Medieval Europe.Photo by David Holloway

Local toddlers Christopher Dugger, 2, Christina Dugger, 4, and Rowan Winebarger, 4, are enjoying splash time last week at the public pool in downtown Mountain City. Summer is a great time for outdoor fun as well as to be aware of water safety promoted by the Tennessee National Drowning Prevention.

Nola Furches smiles after winning a bicycle during the 14th Annual Turtle Derby held last week at Ralph Stout Park. Joe Herman of Herman Trucking donated a pair of bicycles that added to the door prizes awarded during the race. Matthew Forrester had the winning ticket for the boy’s bike contributing to another successful event. Submitted by Joan Trathen

Girl Scout Madison Johnson, 6 enjoys some puppy love during a special presentation at the Johnson County Public Library last week. The new group is the first to locally represent the Girl Scout Council of the Southern Appalachians in Mountain City.

Cosplayers at the first annual Comic Con held last week at Virginia Highlands Community College in Abingdon line up for a photo as the judges select the winners. Comic Con., allows comic book enthusiasts and fans to gather and meet creators, experts and each other was a success. Organizers are promising to make the free event a community tradition. Johnson County High School is also hosting its annual Longhorn Comic Con., scheduled for June 2-3, 2018 in Mountain City, TN. Photo by Tamas Mondovics

Sunrise greets Mountain City teasing residents with the arrival of spring following a pair of late winter storms that brought several inches of snow, which slowed traffic and closed area schools. Much-welcomed warmer temperatures are now expected to dominate the season.Photo by Rita Hewett

Nine-year-old chocolate Lab, Emma, enjoys her favorite time of year as she runs through the snow that blanketed the region earlier this week. The late winter weather that pelted the area came on the anniversary of the infamous blizzard of 93 and brought several inches of fresh snow, closed local schools for several days as daily temperatures hovered in the low 30s. Photo courtesy of Sarah Feid